Category: Licensing

At the 2002 Licensing Show held June 11-13, 2002 in New York City, Mainframe Entertainment Inc. will present licensing opportunities for their new CG animated series, Tony Hawk's FEASTERS. Mainframe and skateboarding sensation Hawk are developing the series, which targets boys aged 11 to 14.

Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. is previewing two distinct new properties this June at the Licensing Show 2002. The preschool series WUBBIES was developed by John Martin Mokrenko and Christine Usvaltas, and Mainframe Entertainment will bring the cast of furry Wubbies to life. Joy Tashjian, president of Joy Tashjian Marketing Group, Mainframe's agency of record for property representation will be promoting the product line potential of this property at this year's Licensing Show in New York.

The summer blockbuster licensing frenzy has begun! Food manufacturing giant General Mills is launching special-edition products based on STAR WARS: EPISODE II "ATTACK OF THE CLONES," including limited edition STAR WARS: EPISODE II cereal. The sweetened corn puff cereal features seven different marshmallow shapes representing STAR WARS characters and objects including a Clone Trooper, red and blue lightsabers, Yoda, R2-D2, the starship Slave I and the Jedi Starfighter.

European animation studio Varga, which owns the Hungarian TV, video and DVD rights for the animated MR. BEAN, has concluded a deal with RTL Klub Hungary to air the 52 x 11-minute series, making it the first country to air the series outside the UK. MR. BEAN premiered in Hungary on April 6, 2002 and will air weekly. Varga has over 420 crew working on the animated MR. BEAN, making it one of the largest animation series currently in production in Europe. Vargas Alexei Alexeev is the series director for the Tiger Aspect, Richard Purdum and Varga co-production.

Loonland Merchandising has signed licensing agreements with several companies to manufacture and distribute merchandise based on the TV-Loonland property CRAMP TWINS. Distribution Network Company (DNC), creator of merchandise for shows like THE SIMPSONS, SOUTH PARK and STAR TREK, will be producing apparel based on the slick look of Lucien and Wayne Cramp, while DNC subsidiary Trademark Toys is creating toys only a Cramp Twin could love including water guns, boxing gloves, artificial slime and artificial snot.

Brand management and television production company Silver Lining Productions Ltd. has signed toy manufacturer Gund to create plush toys, outfits and soft accessories for their kids property OLIVIA, based on the book series by Ian Falconer. Other new licensees include The Alexander Doll Company, Inc. (Madame Alexander), which will be introducing a range of vinyl dolls, outfits and gift sets. Universe Publishing also joins the roster to create wall calendars based on the charismatic piglet.

Disney Interactive and Nintendo of America have entered into a licensing agreement to publish titles for Game Boy Advance. The first title under this agreement will be Disney's PETER PAN RETURN TO NEVER LAND, releasing in conjunction with the feature film Disney's RETURN TO NEVER LAND on February 15, 2002. Disney Interactive plans to publish several Game Boy Advance titles this year, including two based on the upcoming animated feature films, LILO & STITCH and TREASURE PLANET.

Under the terms of a recently announced worldwide licensing, Vivendi Universal Publishing's Knowledge Adventure studio will develop and publish BUTT-UGLY MARTIANS interactive entertainment products for the PC/Mac, console, handheld, PDA, wireless and Internet platforms beginning in fall 2002. The products will be distributed worldwide by Vivendi Universal Games.

Corus Entertainments Nelvana scored a slew of sales at this years NATPE show, including an output deal with Venezuelas Venevision for four shows per year plus first look options. Other programming deals saw ABC-TV Australia license seven shows including FRANKLIN THE TURTLE, LITTLE BEAR and BLAZING DRAGONS and Panamanian broadcaster FETV has agreed to a package deal of over 100 half-hours of animation.

Apparel brand and licensing company The Cherokee Group has agreed to represent DIC Entertainment's property LIBERTY'S KIDS and engineer strategic licensing agreements for the animated show. LIBERTY'S KIDS, an educational series depicting the events and people surrounding the United States' fight for independence, will debut in the fall of 2002 on PBS. The show will be airing a minimum of five days a week for two years. The series will feature personalities such as Walter Cronkite, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller and Whoopie Goldberg in voice-over roles portraying historical figures.

In an interesting promotional partnership, Universal Studios Home Video (USHV) and Hop-On have partnered to launch the first-of-its-kind, disposable cell phone in connection with the DVD/home video release of JURASSIC PARK III on December 11, 2001. The "Jurassic Park Survival Cell Phones" will offer 60 minutes of prepaid calling time without the requirement of a cellular service contract or monthly fee and will be available only via inserts in thousands of JURASSIC PARK III DVDs and videocassettes. Compact and fully recyclable, the cell phones require only two buttons: CALL and END.

PorchLight Entertainment has completed negotiations with Penguin Putnam, Inc. and Modern Publishing to license its animated preschool property JAY JAY THE JET PLANE. Under the agreement, Penguin will develop and produce JAY JAY THE JET PLANE story books for the preschooler as well as a variety of novelty books. With a commitment to produce a minimum of eight books throughout 2002, Penguin will adapt story lines from Jay Jay's worldly adventures and include both a Christmas and a spring-themed adaptation.